PUEBLO, Colo. — Eight weeks into the PBR Camping World Team Series, we don’t need to do much talking about each of the league’s 10 units at this point.

They’re, well, letting their rides, records and wrecks do the talking.

While Felipe Furlan and his (8-11) Missouri Thunder are doing all they can to punch their ticket to the 2024 PBR Teams Championship, they remain one of eight teams stuck within the six, seven and eight-win range.

Which, when you consider the No. 1 (14-3-1) Carolina Cowboys and No. 2 (13-6) Kansas City Outlaws have operated as runaways for a majority of the season, it’s not too much of a stretch to suggest the circuit’s competitors are fighting for what should be the final four spots inside T-Mobile Center.

The postseason gauntlet is a mere five weekends away.

And with just four regular season events remaining on the 5-on-5 tour’s ever-electric schedule, teams understand the time to grind is now.

So, only time will tell which of this year’s summer series standouts wants it most. The shiniest gold buckle in team sports, that is.

Rocking identical records, courtesy of their 9-9 starts, each of the No. 3 Texas Rattlers, No. 4 Florida Freedom and No. 5 Austin Gamblers are the definition of even-slated as things stand. Which, when you consider the remaining five teams are below .500 records, isn’t too bad a feat to be sporting in the parity-driven landscape.

The Rattlers, one of the hottest squads on tour, alongside the Outlaws, are trending in the right direction at 9-9. The Freedom and Gamblers, however, have been hovering within the Top 6 for most of the season, albeit unable to get over the hump here lately. We aren’t suggesting any of these teams surpass Kansas City or Carolina by season’s end, but we wouldn’t be surprised in the least if it's one of these three teams who ultimately win it all this fall.

At the same time, only 2.5 games separate the No. 3 Rattlers from the basement-dwelling No. 10 (7-12) Nashville Stampede, so quite literally anything could still be in the cards for the 2022 PBR Teams Champions, or any of the league’s 10 contingents.

With the ninth of 12 regular season showdowns quickly approaching, the epic 5-on-5 action continues this weekend inside Honda Center in Anaheim, California, with all of this summer’s action set to air on Merit Street and the Merit+ App, continuing Friday night at 7 p.m. PT.

Fans can stay tuned to the league’s official 2024 PBR Camping World Teams Series standings here throughout the action-packed season and are encouraged to share their own rankings with us on @PBR social media channels!

No. 1: Carolina Cowboys (Week 8 Rank: No. 1) This is the closest we’ve come to putting the No. 2 Kansas City Outlaws above the top-ranked Carolina Cowboys. And for as strong of a stretch the Outlaws have put together here, the checkered flag squad remains atop the Week 9 power rankings. Mostly because they continue to produce quality efforts even if they’ve mixed a few more losses in their than usual. Remaining two games ahead of the orange and black unit heading into this weekend’s PBR Teams: Anaheim showdown, they’re now merely 25.5 points ahead in overall combined aggregate score, with Carolina the only team above the 4k mark (4,010.75 points to the Outlaws’ 3,975.25). Sage Steele Kimzey, Cooper Davis and Daylon Swearingen may have cooled off a bit lately, but they remain ranked in the Top 10 of the PBR Teams MVP race alongside the Outlaws’ trio of contenders, thus keeping them as the only two teams with three riders in the Top 10. There’s a chance this could be their last week in the No. 1 spot, depending on what Kansas City drums up this weekend. So, cue the lights, camera and action, because we’ve got a sprint through the last four regular season events on our hands. And we have a feeling both Carolina and Kansas City will be involved.

No. 2: Kanas City Outlaws (Week 8 Rank: No. 2) Winners in 9 of their last 11 events, the Outlaws are the hottest team on tour right now. And while they’re doing all they can to chase down Carolina in both the power rankings and official league standings, we’ve got them just behind the blue and white squad for now. Mostly because Carolina was extremely dominant over the first four events, whereas Kansas City has squeaked out a lot more close calls than Carolina. However with Sandro Batista and Cassio Dias sitting in the Top 5 of the MVP race, third and fourth, respectively, not to mention Koltin Hevalow rocking a healthy No. 9 spot, J.W. Hart’s squad has been putting their firepower on display.

Able to produce a quality 2-1 slate during their homestand Outlaw Days event last weekend, they’re up to 13-6 on the season, which means they’re inching closer and closer to becoming one of the first teams to officially clinch a spot at the 2024 PBR Teams Championship.

No. 3 Texas Rattlers (Week 8 Rank: No. 5) If the first two rankings here are essentially chalk talk, the Texas Rattlers coming in at the No. 3 spot has to be the biggest change in Week 9. Occupying the No. 5 spot in the power rankings last week as their spicy stretch continued, they decided they were ready to return to the Top 3 after going 2-0 inside T-Mobile Center. Defeating both the Florida Freedom and Carolina Cowboys in convincing fashion, courtesy of matching 4-for-5 efforts, Head Coach Cody Lambert has his group riding high at the right time. Which is a dangerous thought for the other nine teams, who also don’t have the motivation of defending last year’s Championship efforts, something only Texas holds the ability to holster. It’s been a group effort for the Rattlers, but there’s no denying Claudio Montanha Jr., who’s now 4-for-5 on the season, has become one of the most impactful free agent signings of the summer. If Brady Fielder and Joao Ricardo Vieira can continue leading the way, Texas has plenty of talented guys who are more than willing to follow the flow, ever evident with their 8-for-10 showcase in Week 8. Keep an eye out for the Rattlers to stay hot, now 7-2 in their last nine contests.

No. 4: Austin Gamblers (Week 8 Rank: No. 3) Another event down, another week we’re left wondering what the true identity of this Gamblers squad is, or will be, in 2024. Jose Vitor Leme sits in the No. 2 spot of the MVP race after seeing John Crimber surpass him over the weekend. The “Ice Man” Kaique Pacheco has snuck into the Top 20, himself, now No. 19 after picking up a conversion in Kansas City. But at just 9-9 on the season, this team knows they are much more skilled than their .500 record suggests. If they want to make some noise during next month’s postseason gauntlet, they’re going to need to find some additional consistency from any rider on the roster who doesn’t have a pair of world championships already on their resume. With Dalton Kasel getting a banged up a bit, we’ll have to stay tuned to Friday night’s lineup and draw announcement, as it would be a bad time for the up and down unit to lose one of their three aces. At the same time, it’s not likely this team drops below the No. 4 rank for the rest of the season, as we expect a bounce back effort in Anaheim to spur a hot streak as the two-time regular season champs look to turn things up a notch.

No. 5: Florida Freedom (Week 8 Rank: No. 4) If staying the course had an identity, it would be the Florida Freedom, one of three teams bringing matching 9-9 slates into Anaheim, California, this weekend. With a three-game losing streak representing their longest fall all season, the Freedom have been impressive in showcasing their resilience in not allowing the train to get off the tracks very often. Producing a 1-1 record at PBR Teams: Outlaw Days, they find themselves down at the No. 5 spot, despite identical records, after dropping a contest to the Rattlers on Saturday. Putting up just two rides to Texas’ four, they have a better idea of what an elite squad looks and rides like. Something they are continuing to chase down as their youngsters keep piecing things together. Able to bounce back with a convincing win over the Oklahoma Wildcatters when Sunday rolled around, they managed to resurface to even waters as John Crimber recaptured the top spot in the MVP race. Things aren’t perfect for Florida, but seeing the likes of Joao Lucas Campos, Alex Cerqueira, Elizmar Jeremias and Eric Henrique Domingos taking turns complementing their 19-year-old superstar, they are 100% a threat to not only make a run here over the final four showcases, but inside T-Mobile Arena this fall during the “Win or go home” playoff shootout.

No. 6: New York Mavericks (Week 8 Rank: No. 9) New York Mavericks’ Head Coach Kody Lostroh shared that his team has been entering each weekend with tons of momentum and energy. It’s been how they’ve been walking out of the building at the end of most showcases where they’ve struggled to succeed, often exiting on a loss rather than win more weeks than not. That trend changed in Week 8, as they secured a clutch 86.25-0 win over the stumbling Nashville Stampede.

RELATED: New York Mavericks close out weekend with a win, momentum heading into Anaheim

It wasn’t a perfect, nor pretty, win. But if it counts in the standings, it’s good enough for the year one squad, who’s squeaked out more one-ride score wins than most teams on tour in 2024. Mauricio Moreira played hero once again as he continues to build on his team-leading campaign, despite being signed as a free agent. They’ve got plenty of youngsters in the wings, who are getting some quality reps this summer. But if they want to truly make some noise over the home stretch and keep themselves out of the Ride In Round, they’ll need a few of those cowboys to step up. Starting this weekend out west. They’re trendy and having fun, now picking up a win in four of their last seven games. So, if Marco Rizzo can get cleared to compete sooner than later, we’re not counting out the Mavericks just yet.

No. 7: Missouri Thunder (Week 8 Rank: No. 7) The 2024 PBR Teams Championship is right around the corner, but the six teams set to compete inside the state of the art arena are far from solidified. Which is a good sign for the Missouri Thunder, who find themselves both at just 8-11, yet atop the league’s bottom 4 squads heading into Anaheim. They didn’t help their cause out much by dropping an opening night showdown to the Oklahoma Wildcatters Friday. But there wasn’t a better way to get back in the win column than by defeating their in-state rivals on their hometown dirt, eventually besting the Outlaws 179.5-175 Sunday afternoon. If they’re to make the push up the standings, however, they’re going to need to give Paulo Eduardo Rossetto some additional assistance, as he’s been the only man consistently making the eight lately. Andrew Alvidrez, Boudreaux Campbell, Felipe Furlan and several other guys are more than capable of turning things around and have shown flashes of greatness this summer. But they need to start making the 8 regularly if Missouri wants to begin their ascension up the rankings.

No. 8: Oklahoma Wildcatters (Week 8 Rank: No. 8) Shoutout to anybody who had Eduardo Matos leading the way for the expansion unit from Oklahoma this weekend, because the international talent has been red-hot this summer.

Ranked No. 6 overall in the MVP race, his 12-for-20 start to the season has him sitting amongst extremely talented company as he continues to do his thing for the J.B. Mauney-coached contingent. Going 3-for-4 last weekend as one of just three cowboys to record three qualified rides, he teamed up with Cort McFadden in getting his team a big win Saturday night over the Nashville Stampede. However, exiting T-Mobile Center with a 1-2 slate overall after dropping decisions to the Austin Gamblers and Florida Freedom, they’ll be hoping their rookie star Clay Guiton can return from injury sooner than later if they want to stay out of the Ride In Round. If they end up needing to compete inside South Point Casino, Hotel & Spa, they have a pretty deep and talented roster. But with four weekends left ahead of the playoff showcase, they have several chances to right the ship.

RELATED: Youthful Oklahoma Wildcatters back on track as Matos, McFadden stay the course

No. 9: Arizona Ridge Riders (Week 8 Rank: No. 10) They’re out of the basement, for now at least, as the Arizona Ridge Riders went 1-1 in Kansas City en route to establishing a 7-11 slate. Now just one game back from the No. 6 New York Mavericks, they need to pick up a pair of wins this weekend in California as they take the next step forward as a unit. The team’s 258.25-0 win over Missouri Friday night couldn’t have come against a better team, as they are one of the units in Arizona’s way right now. But with the team mustering up just one ride during a Saturday showcase against the league’s top dawgs in Carolina means they haven’t found the consistency piece they once yielded. Eduardo Aparecido and Keyshawn Whitehorse remain ranked in the Top 15 of the MVP race, ranked No. 12 and 15, respectively. Fast Eddy has found the 8 in four out of his last five outs, but Whitehorse hasn’t heard the buzzer since Aug. 25, something that will need to change. They’ve got time to get their ducks in a row, but they need to get up stream here sooner than later.

No. 10: Nashville Stampede (Week 8 Rank: No. 6) There’s not much we can say when a team drops seven consecutive decisions in a league filled with as many highs and lows as this one features. Which has been the exact case for Nashville, who hasn’t enjoyed a victory in the 5-on-5 landscape since Aug. 18. If they were losing some tight games and dire circumstances, that would be one thing. But putting up just three qualified rides during the team’s combined 15 opportunities in Kansas City means there are several elements and riders not lined up right now. Drawing the Austin Gamblers and Oklahoma Wildcatters in Week 9 as the tour heads to Anaheim, California, will Kaiden Loud be able to dig his team out of the No. 10 spot? Can Alan de Souza and Silvano Alves let their veteran status shine through and get the 2022 PBR Teams Champions into T-Mobile Arena Oct. 18-20? Only time will tell.

Fans are encouraged to share their feedback and power rankings of their own by tagging @PBR social media channels!

Summer supporters can also stay tuned to PBR.com and Merit Street platforms as we dive into the league’s power rankings, one week at a time!

Photo courtesy of Todd Brewer/Bull Stock Media